The Tennessee State Legislature passed a bill forbidding government institutions, schools and private companies from implementing certain mask and vaccine requirements. This move has been opposed by multiple major manufacturers, including Ford Motor Co. While the majority of legislators support this move, there has been backlash from large corporations.
Politically, this is a complicated bill. The majority of this bill is to prevent government institutions from requiring vaccinations in a bid to limit federal intervention into Tennessee corporate policy.
Realistically, if COVID-19 restrictions were not being passed down from the federal level, this bill would not have been brought up in the first place. Because of this situation, legislators are forced to try to balance protecting individuals from government overreach and secure the freedom of private businesses.
On one hand, by making business unable to comply with federal vaccine mandates they protect the interests of their constituents, while on the other hand, if they make it illegal for businesses to institute vaccine requirements of their own accord, then they are abridging the corporate freedom of businesses.
The bill, which finally passed and was signed by Governor Bill Lee, included several compromises. The bill bans government institutions and public schools from requiring masks, except during extreme conditions, requires schools to provide masks to those who want one and allows organizations to require vaccinations or masks if federal funding is put at risk.
ETSU is exempt from this policy since they are at risk of losing federal funding, according an article by Knox News. These exemptions are granted and must be renewed on a year-by-year basis.
While the legislature had a difficult time coming up with a compromise, this bill eventually emerged as a way to satisfy the interests of constituents and corporations.
